Proposed Fiscal Year 2021 funding for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) remains stuck at $25 million as the full House Appropriations Committee voted today to approve the FY 2021 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations bill that covers a host of executive branch organizations including the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). […]

Since the COVID-19 pandemic brought new attention to the need for a “faster path to maturing data sharing protocols,” government leaders must look ahead to how data can continue to inform decision making as capabilities mature and improve, Deputy Federal CIO Maria Roat said today. […]

Deputy Federal CIO Maria Roat this week shared success stories of accelerated IT modernization during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Small Business Administration (SBA) and across the Federal government, while emphasizing the importance of programs such as the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) to continue long-term modernization. […]

Time and again during the COVID-19 pandemic, Federal IT has proven its value as a vital service-delivery lifeline between government and citizens. MeriTalk is chronicling the untold stories and lessons of Federal IT success as the nation takes its first steps toward recovery. In this chapter of CIO Crossroads, we explore the State Department’s accelerated IT modernization journey in the midst of the storm. […]

If the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) is going to see a big boost in funding anytime soon, it may not arrive through the regular annual appropriations process. […]

The General Services Administration (GSA) attributes the FedRAMP program’s success to building a culture that prioritizes continuous improvement, and aims to continue program growth through its recently launched FedRAMP Agency Liaison Program. […]

Federal IT has bridged the gap between government and citizen service during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the country takes the very first steps toward recovery, MeriTalk is chronicling the untold stories of how Federal IT is getting the job done – and lessons for the road ahead. Our latest chapter of CIO Crossroads explores IT operations at the Environmental Protection Agency. […]

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and many agencies maintain telework status, outgoing Federal CIO Suzette Kent called the current moment a “marker of a new era” in IT modernization and digital capabilities.  […]

Federal IT has taken the ultimate stress test during the COVID-19 pandemic – and has withstood the strain. Fortified by ongoing modernization efforts, agency CIOs and their teams have ensured the delivery of vital government services during unprecedented crisis. As the new normal paves the road to recovery, MeriTalk is chronicling those success stories. Today, we go into the eye of the storm with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the second-largest Federal agency and largest civil agency. […]

The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at NASA blamed the lack of information security programs, missing contingency plans, and ineffective IT security handbooks for the agency’s Federal Information Security Modernization (FISMA) Act shortcomings in Fiscal Year 2019. […]

A collection of trade groups representing the nation’s biggest tech firms is urging Senate leadership to match or exceed the $1 billion in funding for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF) approved by the House last month as part of the HEROES Act pandemic-relief legislation. […]

As public and private sector organizations face a heightened threat landscape amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Richard Driggers, deputy assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), explained how agency efforts have scaled to meet governmentwide cyber needs. […]

After a two-and-a-half-year tenure widely recognized for success in promoting Federal IT modernization – and superb performance in shepherding the government’s quick turn to telework during the COVID-19 pandemic – Federal CIO Suzette Kent said today she will step down from her post next month. […]

Federal CIO Suzette Kent will be leaving the public sector in July, according to a June 25 announcement from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). […]

FedRAMP announced that it has kicked off a new initiative – the Agency Liaison Program – that the FedRAMP Project Management Office (PMO) said is “designed to transform the way FedRAMP informs and collaborates with Federal agencies,” and “help agencies and industry be more efficient in their cloud adoption efforts.” […]

The unique ability of government IT operations to ensure the delivery of vital services to citizens has formed the backbone of the larger Federal pandemic response. MeriTalk is chronicling the untold stories of that effort in our CIO Crossroads series. Please join us for our latest chapter: Department of Transportation. […]

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released Open Security Controls Assessment Language (OSCAL) 1.0.0 Milestone 3, a key step toward finalizing the full initial release of OSCAL v1. […]

The critical importance of Federal IT operations in sustaining vital government operations during the COVID-19 pandemic is nearing the status of universal truth. What’s much less obvious to the naked eye – and meant to be that way – are the security operations underpinning and defending the vast Federal technology enterprise. As the nation takes its first steps on the road to recovery, MeriTalk is bringing to light the untold stories of those efforts. In the latest chapter of CIO Crossroads, we examine the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program. […]

The U.S. Army announced that it would be dividing the CIO/G-6 position into two separate positions: the CIO and the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS) of the G-6. […]

The ability of Federal IT operations to adapt almost overnight to support citizens and workforce amid the unique challenges of the national pandemic is one of the few bright spots in the past three months of turmoil. The drivers of that performance are neither easy nor accidental, and depend on steadfast leadership. MeriTalk is chronicling the untold stories – and lessons – of Federal IT success during the pandemic. Please join us for a conversation with Federal CIO Suzette Kent, who spotlights the value of teamwork, fast action, and focused leadership in times of crisis. […]

Federal CIO Suzette Kent said today that lessons Federal agencies have learned during the COVID-19 pandemic need to drive further efficiencies in government IT operations in order to better prepare operations for any future emergencies. […]

A May 2020 report from the Federal CIO Council on the future of the government IT workforce makes 10 new recommendations to improve the 21st century work environment, including better recognition for employees doing a good job and revamping the hiring process. […]

Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program Manager Kevin Cox said today that the program’s mission has mostly continued without a hitch through the COVID-19 pandemic, while also serving to better inform the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal agencies about the security implications of maximum telework. […]

For the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), its Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program and its Quality Service Management Office (QSMO) both serve roles for the agency to provide service excellence to Federal customers. […]

Sean Connelly, Trusted Internet Connections (TIC) Program Manager at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), detailed at MeriTalk’s CDM Central: Tales from the Frontlines virtual event today how TIC and the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program work together to bolster Federal cybersecurity. […]

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program has been a key tool for managing cybersecurity risks since Federal employees began maximum telework in March by helping to maintain situational awareness on networks, said Federal CISO Grant Schneider at MeriTalk’s CDM Central: Tales from the Frontlines digital event today. […]

Since the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program launched the minimal viable product version of its new dashboard last month, more Federal agencies have seen the value in choosing a cloud-hosted dashboard due in part to the need for more scalability in light of the coronavirus pandemic, CDM Project Manager Judy Baltensperger said today at MeriTalk’s CDM Central: Tales from the Frontlines virtual event […]

Underpinning the delivery of citizen services, funding, and an all-important sense of normalcy during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal IT enterprise has provided firm footing in uncertain times. As the nation takes its first steps on the road to recovery, MeriTalk is chronicling the untold stories and lessons of the ongoing IT odyssey. In the latest chapter of CIO Crossroads, we explore the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s IT operations three months into the fray.  […]

Kevin Cox, program manager for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program, confirms that Federal agencies are increasingly integrating CDM into their overall security operations for greater visibility and control. That’s in line with findings from MeriTalk’s latest research, which found 59 percent of agencies incorporating CDM into their broader cyber strategy, rather than viewing it as a standalone function. […]

The story of the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program is far from finished, and its importance in ensuring the security of Federal networks has only increased during the last three months as maximum telework has become the norm. As the CDM program assumes an even higher priority for agencies, how can Federal officials and industry stakeholders stay connected and focus on the program’s coming chapters? […]